Frost
by The Color Gray
Summary: A series of chapters revolving around Amelink and their impending parenthood.
1. Chapter 1

_**-As the frost covers the ground, our love will lead the way-**_

* * *

_**-December 20th-**_

It was barely snowing.

Frost surrounded the earth ever so slightly, like a soft kiss to the ground.

The weather in Seattle was always strange, especially at this time of year.

It was colder than usual, and it began snowing earlier, and more frequently than the years past.

It was effervescent. Lovely. Peaceful.

Yet somehow surprising.

Winter was always absolute chaos in the Grey-Shepherd household. Especially during Christmas time. This year though, was going to be incredibly different, because Amelia is adding Link to the mix… and next year, they'll have someone else with them as well. Between the shopping, the family, and the stress of it all, she wasn't quite sure how she was going to survive. This is her first Christmas with Link… and yet this was their last alone at the same time.

The thought haunted her.

It teased her, like a fateful whisper in the back of her ear.

It tore her apart.

Her mind was constantly occupied with anxiety. How could they do it? How would it work? She didn't know… often times she'd just leap and hope for the best. But planning ahead… having to work it all out… _that _was strange for Amelia.

As she stared at her sisters, nieces, and nephew decorating the tree in their living room, (last minute like usual) she felt happiness like none other. There was something so special, almost magical about decorating with your family. Her thoughts slowed, as she zoned away from this world. Soon, she brought back to reality by an excited Link. He was big and smiley... and in pajamas. Ever since he moved into Meredith's house to be with Amelia, It seemed as though he was always in pajamas. She really didn't mind though, because she was the same.

"Hey." He said softly as he tapped her shoulder against his own, swiftly handing her a mug of hot cocoa. He quickly unraveled the blanket around his back, and placed it around her so they could share.

"Hey." She responded, inching herself closer to the blanket, and pulling it fully around her side.

Every time she caught his gaze she smiled uncontrollably... like an absolute dork. This time wasn't an exception in any way.

She snuggled into him, letting her head rest completely into his embrace. He was comfortable, safe.

He made her feel more than safe.

No.

He made her feel… seen. Something that was even more powerful.

"This is our first Christmas together you know." He said softly, swinging his arm under the blanket. His eyes were wide and happy. But then again, when weren't they?

"I know." Amelia breathed with a light laugh. She nursed the mug of hot cocoa in her hand wearily, taking a sip and then looking down at the floor.

"And our last alone." She chuckled.

Link smiled up at her, again causing her to smile in return. But soon after, her face became stoic, and her body released even more into his arms. Fear set in once again.

"How are we gonna do this?" She whispered tentatively, as she ran her finger over top of the mug.

His face turned, as the thoughts he pressed down began to swirl. It was almost as if her question sobered him up... and he was nowhere near drunk.

"I don't know." He answered honestly, without even really noticing that he was responding to her question.

Her gaze hit the ground once more, almost as though she was defeated. If he didn't know the answer, then who would? How could they do this if they had no clue where to go next? How would this be figured out? Uncertainty flooded her mind, hand in hand with the fear... the anxiety.

Suddenly, Link pulled her closer. "But I do know that _we can." _

She shot her head up almost immediately, her eyes saying all that the words couldn't, almost as if they were speaking for themselves.

He couldn't help but notice how not only her eyes speak so clearly, but how they glisten in the light. Whether it was the bright light of the sun on an easy morning, candle light in a dim restaurant, or even the light in the O.R, her eyes still illuminated the atmosphere regardless.

_The piercing blue-like frost took him captive... it engulfed him._

Every time he looked into her eyes, something inside of him bubbled.

Something inside of him changed.

He became sure in that moment of what he's known all along.

_He is gonna marry that girl. _

"It'll work out somehow." He said as he pulled himself back into tune. Her eyes met his again, and all that remained inside of him melted.

He placed his hand on her belly, letting it rest where their baby was kicking up a storm. "He seems to agree."

Amelia smiled at his words. "He?" She asked.

"Just a feeling." He replied.

She smiled once more, and met his hand, rubbing his knuckles softly.

They both lifted their heads up in unison, staring once again at the chaos of tree decorating.

"At least we have this to look forward to." She breathed.

Decorating was always her favorite part about the holidays. The best part? Link seemed to enjoy it with her family. He loved her family despite the crazy, and that is something she will cherish forever. In all honesty, she never wanted this moment to end. Everyone was happy. Truly, genuinely happy. Nothing could compare.

"Hey! Come help us." Maggie asked, Interrupting their moment, and snapping them both out of their bliss.

And with that, they ended the night full of hot cocoa, family, and a little eased anxiety.

* * *

**Hey all! What did you think?**

**I know, I know, I've been absent for a while haha. I promise I'm alive and well. Life has been crazy busy, and I've really been struggling with writers block, and a huge lack of inspiration. Also, an update of The Shadows That Allur Us will come soon, but for now I hope you enjoy this fic! As always, comment/tweet me your thoughts and/or suggestions!**

**Love you all!**

**-The Color Grey**

**Follow my twitter Mendozas_Closet for updates! **


	2. Chapter 2

_**-As the frost covers the ground, our love will lead the way-**_

* * *

_**-December 24th, Christmas Day-**_

"Link. It's 5 in the morning. The kids aren't even awake yet." Amelia muttered tiredly as she rubbed her eyes. She pulled the blankets a little higher, and turned in the other direction.

Link sat back down on the bed, and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I know. I know. Just trust me." He replied.

He had something special planned, Amelia could tell, and yet she had no clue what it was.

"Ok. You awake now?" He asked.

"Sorta." She replied with a yawn. She pushed her hair out of her face to meet his eyes. God, she was always got lost in them.

"Turn around."

Amelia turned herself under the blankets, and sat up to see something in the corner of the room. For a moment she couldn't make out what it was, but as soon as she did she was brought to tears. She threw the blankets off and stood up, slowly walking over to the large object. She couldn't believe her eyes. Placing her hand on the white wood, she let her fingers slowly side across the edge.

It was a beautiful white crib.

A giant red bow was wrapped around the front, and a stuffed bunny laid inside. Amelia was speechless.

"Oh no, you don't like it?" Link asked worriedly. "I can always return it."

Amelia pulled him close, kissing him softly. She placed her hand on his face, and ran her fingers up and down his cheek. "I love it." She whispered. "I think she likes it to."

"She?" Link asked as he raised his brown with a smile.

"Just a feeling."

She leaned into his chest, and laid there for a long moment, staring out of the bedroom window.

It was snowing.

Fresh and light, beautiful and full.

There was something so special about the snow, the frost. The slowness of each fall, and the difference in each individual flake. There was a peace in the air, a calm, a beauty.

"Thank you." She whispered to him, as she turned herself to look into his eyes.

"No, thank _you_." He replied as he placed his hands on her belly. "Because you're giving me the greatest gift of all time." Tears pooled in her eyes and she kissed him once more. She was so grateful for him… for everything he was, and will be. For everything he's done, and will do. _He's gonna be an amazing father. _She thought to herself.

Just then, they were interrupted by little Ellis who barged through the door. "Auntie Amelia!" She shrieked. "Santa came, Santa came!"

Amelia laughed, letting herself free of Links warm embrace. "Ok. Were coming Elle-belle."

"HURRY!" Ellis yelled back.

She grabbed a small throw blanket from their bed, wrapped it around herself, and took Link's hand. With that, they made their way downstairs to the chaos.

When they made their way to the living room, they found Ellis and Bailey running around the tree, and Zola half asleep on the couch. Eight years old and she was already acting like a teen.

"Come on, let's open our gifts!" Bailey yelled.

"I think we should wait for your mom kiddo." Bailey frowned at Link's comment, and plopped himself down onto the floor.

"He's right." Amelia chimed in.

"I'll go get mommy." Zola sighed sleepily.

Just as she was getting up, an exhausted Meredith walked into the living room. "No, I'm here." She looked like she had barely gotten any sleep, but then again, Meredith never got sleep.

"Hey." She said to Amelia.

"Hey. These psychos almost tore their gifts open without you." Link said playfully as he walked over to Amelia and Meredith.

"No we didn't!" Laughed Bailey as he stood up from his spot on the floor.

"Oh really?"

Link scooped Bailey up into his arms and started tickling him. The both of them laughed uncontrollably as Meredith and Amelia watched in amusement. Bailey soon began to shriek at the top of his lungs for help. "Auntie Amelia, help!" He laughed, barely able to breathe.

Amelia just laughed as well, as she turned to face Meredith.

"You picked a good one you know." She said as she took a sip of coffee from the warm mug in her hand.

"I know."

"I want a turn! I want a turn!" Amelia and Meredith turned their heads to Ellis, who was yelling at Link's knees as he placed Bailey down. "Alright, come here!" He yelled as he scooped her up. "Yay!"

"Good morning." Maggie said as she walked into the living room. "Merry Christmas." Meredith and Amelia responded with a whisper.

"What's going on?" Maggie asked.

"Oh. The kids are just playing with Link."

Maggie smiled, seeing how amazing he was with the kids. He really was an awesome guy, and she was proud of Amelia for fighting for him instead of running. Amelia had a tendency to run. But this time, she was trying. It almost brought her to tears.

"Amelia, please marry that man." She responded as she left the room to grab some coffee.

"Ok guys." Link interrupted as he finally put Ellis down, getting everyone's attention. "I have a special present for Amelia."

He took her hands, and led her across the living room. He was up to something, and Amelia had no idea what to expect. If that morning had been any indicator, then this present was going to be absolutely amazing.

"Amelia." He said with tears in his eyes. She chuckled and shook her head confused, unsure of what he was doing, or what was gonna happen next. She looked back at Maggie and Meredith, but they just smiled and gestured for her to look back at Link.

"When I first met you, I had no idea what I was searching for. I had just started getting back in my game after the death of my long time patient. But as soon as I saw you…" He paused, barely able to get the words out. "As soon as I saw you, I knew there was something different about you. The way you carried yourself. How fiercely you cared for others. How demanding you were in San Francisco." Amelia laughed, remembering their time there. It felt like forever ago.

"You somehow always know what you want, and you aren't afraid to leap. Amelia, you showed me what love really is. You've shown me new things about myself, what _I_ want, and how I want to live. You.." He paused again, placing his hand on her belly. "You have given me the greatest gift of all. And I want to spend the rest of my life loving the both of you. So Amelia Frances Shepherd." He said as he got down on one knee, pulling out a large black box. "Will you marry me?"

* * *

**Link proposed, yay! How do you think Amelia is gonna react? **

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The next will be out as soon as possible! **

**As always, please leave me your thoughts here or via twitter! I'm always open to suggestions too :)**

**Follow my twitter Mendozas_Closet for updates! **

**With love, **

**The Color Grey**


	3. Chapter 3

**-As the frost covers the ground, our love will lead the way-**

* * *

**-January 1st, New Years Day-**

"You've talked to him right?" Asked Meredith over the coffee table in the attending's lounge. Her and Amelia had a bit of a break between surgeries, so she decided to bring up the inevitable, and learn how she was doing. She wasn't usually great with big decisions, and it worried her.

"Of course I've talked to him." Amelia responded, barely able to lean forwards due to her large bump. It had been a week since Link proposed, and she was conflicted with so many different thoughts and emotions.

"And?" Meredith questioned in a frustrated tone.

"And… " She paused. "We still have no idea where to have the wedding."

Amelia's been through all of this before. The planning, seating charts, the dress shopping. To be honest, she really doesn't want a wedding in the first place, but at the same time she wants to marry Link. Whatever he wants, she wants... as long as it's not a big wedding.

Her mind had been going back and forth for so long that she forgot Meredith was even in the room.

"Amelia?" Mer asked as she nudged her hand from across the table.

"What?" She said as she shook herself out of her thoughts, sitting up a little straighter.

"You. Link. Wedding venue?"

"Oh." She responded, still half out of it. "I really don't know. At this point we'll just go to city hall." She shrugged with a soft chuckle.

"Hey. That's what Derek and I did." Mer laughed, reminiscing about that time in her life. It truly felt like a lifetime ago.

"Wait... really?'

Mer smiled wide. "Yeah. We actually wrote our vows on a post it note."

Amelia looked up, trying to remember that note. She knows she's seen it before. Finally, after a minute or two of basically wracking her brain, it hit her. "The one you keep in the frame right?"

Mer smiled once more. She's never gonna get rid of that stupid frame, or the post it inside, no matter how much time goes by. It was forever, even if he wasn't here anymore.

"Yup. That's the one."

Suddenly Amelia perked up. Her face turned, and the mood of the room changed. "Why did you do it?" She asked. "Why did you decide to get married I mean. You hate marriage."

Mer sank back into her chair. "I don't hate marriage." She paused. "I just never really wanted to get married. The post it note was enough for us."

Amelia raised her eyebrow. "So why did you go through with it? What made you change your mind?"

"Well." Mer started. "We wanted to adopt Zola."

Amelia's heart melted. She loves Zola so much. That little girl was a force to be reckoned with, and she knew she was gonna go far.

"And we didn't want anything to get in the way of her adoption." Mer shook her head. "Us not being married… well. It could've been a wrench in the process. And we just wanted Zola. We wanted to do everything we could to make her ours."

Amelia really wished she could've seen it all. Life was completely different back then.

She wished for it back sometimes.

She wished Derek was still here.

She knew exactly what he would say too: "_Amelia. You basically just met the guy, and you're pregnant?" _Regardless of the inevitable fight they would've had, she knew he would be excited, and probably go overboard.

"It's kinda funny you know." Amelia spoke up, once again pulling herself from her thoughts. "It was both about kids for us." Mer smiled, thinking of Zola for a moment. She loved Derek, and wanted him forever, Zola just gave them a reason to finally do it. And she was forever thankful. "I want to marry Link, I do." Amelia began again. "I just didn't see the need until I got pregnant I guess. When he proposed I just… I knew. I wanted to give our baby the best, and I don't want it to have parents that are together, but not together… I just wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"That's exactly how Derek and I felt." Mer interjected. "Zola was our reason... And that baby is yours."

Just then, they were interrupted by the one and only. _Perfect timing, or eavesdropping?_ Amelia thought to herself.

"Hey." Link said as he gave her a kiss.

"Hey." she responded

"I was just... leaving." Mer said as she smirked at Amelia. '_Talk about it' _she mouthed as she left the room.

Amelia turned back to Link. "What was that about?" He asked with a laugh.

"Nothing. She was just curious about the wedding." Amelia responded.

"Ahh I see. Let me see that rock again."

Amelia lifted her hand and placed it into his. His hands were so warm, so tender… soft. Every time she touched them something inside of her flipped upside down, and it wasn't just the baby she was carrying… who was constantly on the move. Something inside of her changed.

_He_ changed her. And she wanted him forever.

Which scared the absolute crap out of her.

"Wow." Link breathed. "The guy really did a good job."

She laughed at him. He was such a dork.

He leaned in for another kiss, and felt a strong kick against his abdomen.

He looked up and smiled, taken back a bit by the sudden movement. "Hey!" He yelled playfully. "I thought we were friends." He sat down slowly, giving Amelia a sly smile as he placed his hand on her belly.

"And there he goes again." He laughed.

"Well I think _it's _trying to tell you how much it loves you."

Link raised his eyebrow confused. "I thought you said that you think it's a girl." He questioned, unsure of whether or not she had changed her mind… because she had a tendency to do that.

"I do." She paused. "But I don't wanna jinx anything, or call it something that it's not."

"Good point." He said as he took his hand off her belly, sinking back into the chair. "So what do you wanna call it then?"

Amelia looked at him confused. They had been calling the baby 'It' from the very beginning, and she never really thought about calling it anything else before.

"We can't keep calling it, _it_ you know."

"We can call it baby." Amelia laughed, making him laugh a little as well.

"No, no. I mean like, a nickname. Something better than it, or baby."

He rubbed his chin softly, his mind swirling. "What about…" He paused, leaning forwards to stare into Amelia's eyes. God her eyes were so beautiful. "How about chief?" He asked.

Amelia looked up at him with a smile.

"I mean, I'm the chief of Ortho, You're the chief of Neuro." He said with a wave of his hands.

"It's gender neutral… And he/she/it will be the chief of our lives soon... and hopefully chief of something when they grow up too." He paused once more. "Unless they want to do something else... Which I'm totally cool with. I don't wanna force them into anything."

Amelia laughed. She loved it when he spiraled out loud. It was adorable.

She thought about it all for a moment, trying not to let tears escape. She looked at him, and for a moment she was completely lost in his eyes. Oh, his eyes. She prayed he felt the same about hers.

"It's perfect." She replied. "It's absolutely perfect."

* * *

**Did I trick you all at the beginning? Haha, Amelia said YES! Whoop whoop! Not to mention the nickname Link came up with for the baby!**

**Just wanted to say that this chapter is dedicated to the guest who left the super sweet comment! Thank you whoever you are, you made my week! **

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, next one is on it's way ASAP! **

**As always, follow my twitter Mendozas_Closet for updates! **

**Stay wicked,**

**-The Color Gray**


	4. Chapter 4

_**-As the frost covers the ground, our love will lead the way-**_

* * *

_**-January 20th 2020, 6 weeks before Amelia's due date-**_

"I told you, I don't like that color." Amelia said as Link held up a paintbrush dripping with bright yellow paint. Even though they only have a wall and a half to paint, they had been trying to agree on a color for days.

For some reason Amelia was feeling off, and Link wasn't sure why. He knew she would tell him in due time though. She wasn't one to stuff her feelings in for long, or really at all.

"Ok." He breathed, putting the brush back into the can. "But we have to do something about this nursery. We're six weeks out."

"I know." Amelia replied, her voice breaking a bit.

Link raised his bow. He knew that her feelings were about to come out.

"You ok babe?" He asked.

"Yeah." As soon as that escaped her lips he knew that she was lying straight through her teeth. There was definitely something wrong.

"You you're not. " He said as he sat down on their bed, patting his hand on the empty space next to him. She sat down, taking his hand in her own.

"It's just." She paused, looking up at the ceiling as she tried to hold back her tears. "It's Christopher."

Link nodded, unsure of how to respond. "Oh." He knows this pregnancy has been hard on her, and he knows she happy about their baby, but a part of her is empty from losing her son. It's not easy, but he's gonna try his best to help her through it.

"I'm sorry, I know I should be happy." She said as she put her face in her hands.

Link began to rub her back softly. "You're not obligated to be happy Amelia."

She quickly turned her head so she could look him in the eyes.

"You're allowed to grieve. I know this isn't easy for you, and yes, I want to see you happy all the time." Amelia smiled at his words. "The thought of you being sad breaks me, but that's reality. No one is happy all the time. So grieve, grieve your son for as long as you need to."

Amelia sank into his arms, and immediately the tears fell like a waterfall.

A few minutes passed, and she eventually let go of his embrace.

"Thank you."

Link smiled. "How many times do I have to say it? Thank _you_."

She sank into his embrace once more. _He's going to be the best father. _

"Ok. Let's do this."

They spent the entire rest of the day decorating the nursery. Well technically the nursery is also half of their bedroom, but nevertheless they did everything they could with the space they had. Thankfully the bedroom has a bathroom attached to it, similar to Mers, and the space is big enough for the crib Link had bought, a changing table, and a few other things.

Not long after they finished decorating, a paint color had finally been agreed upon. No, it wasn't the yellow Link had suggested, but a pretty pale blue/grey instead. Not finding out the sex of the baby was difficult, since they didn't know what clothes to buy, or how to decorate, but it was fun for them at the same time.

They were happy with either, girl or boy, even though they both secretly hoped for something in particular. But what it all boiled down too, was them just wanting a healthy baby.

Once they were finished, they immediately fell asleep, dreaming of the future. Amelia specifically was dreaming of her son, but they were good dreams. Not sad or heartbreaking. Just good, easy dreams.

_**-Five-Thirty AM, A Few Hours Later-**_

"Auntie Amelia." Amelia was startled by a crying Ellis standing at her side of the bed.

"Hey. What's wrong Elle-Belle?" She asked groggily as she scooped her up and placed her on the bed beside her. She quickly glanced over at her phone to check the time. It was only 5:30 in the morning, Ellis shouldn't even be awake yet.

"I- I had a nightmare." She could barely get the words out as she whimpered. "Mommy left early for the hopsital, and I didn't wanna wake up auntie Maggie." Amelia couldn't help but laugh at how cute Ellis was when she spoke, and how she pronounced hospital 'hopsital.'

"Aww I'm sorry Elle-Belle. Here, lay with me." She pushed herself over, pulling the covers up and letting Ellis lay next to her.

"Thank you auntie Amelia."

Ellis snuggled close to Amelia, and pulled the covers against her chest. Amelia stroked her head for a while, and soon she was fast asleep. Luckily no more nightmares occurred.

Link woke up about an hour later, and turned over to a kid in his bed.

"Did I time travel or is that Ellis?" He asked, still riddled with remnants of sleep.

"She had a bad dream. Mer left early, and she didn't wanna wake Maggie."

Link nodded. "So she woke you instead?"

Amelia smiled. "What can I say? I'm the favorite aunt."

Link smirked at her, _God she is so beautiful _he thought to himself.

"I'll take her to her bed."

Link scooped Ellis up, and slowly tip-toed to her room, careful not to wake her up. He placed her down, but as soon as he slipped his arms back up from under her, letting go of her small frame, she opened her eyes. "Hey Elle. Go back to sleep, it's ok."

She pulled the blankets over herself, and turned around. "Thanks uncle Link." She muttered before drifting back off.

Link shot his head back. "What?" He whispered, but Ellis didn't respond. He crept closer, but she was already out cold.

He ran back to his room, and quickly wrapped Amelia up in his arms. "Guess what?" He asked.

Amelia looked at him confused. "What?"

"Ellis called me uncle Link."

Amelia's jaw dropped wide open. "What?!" She yelled excitedly. "Shh. She woke up as soon as I put her in bed, and just fell back to sleep." Link responded. "Sorry." She replied. "It was a long time coming you know."

"I know." Link said as he inched closer to Amelia's warm body. God she was like a radiator. For some reason she was always warm, even if it was freezing cold. Which made snuggling next to her that much better. "I can't wait for chief to call me dad."

Amelia smiled, slowly meeting his eyes.

"I know. Me neither."

* * *

**Hey guys! I know this chapter is bit short but it's one of my favorites! As always, feel free to leave reviews, and message me here, or on on my twitter Mendozas_closet. To the guest who keeps leaving sweet comments, I can't thank you enough, and I hope you love these next chapters. Once more, this one is dedicated to you! **

**You're all amazing! **

**Stay wicked,**

**-The Color Gray**


	5. White Wedding

_**-As the frost covers the ground, our love will lead the way-**_

* * *

_**-February 4th, 2020-**_

The entirety of Amelia's wedding party was gathered together, in the small back room of the wedding venue… just waiting to go outside and witness the magic that would soon take place.

Amelia and Link spared no time with planning. They both liked to leap, and they had a baby on the way.

Why wait? They thought. _Why waste precious time? _

They booked a lovely outdoor field, with a place for the reception just walking distance away. They just decided to book it a few days after they talked it out. Luckily, it was available… but only February 4th. So they scrambled everything together in two weeks, and thankfully, it was all coming together perfectly.

"You look beautiful." Meredith whispered to her sister. She was stunned at the sight of her.

Her dress was simple. Plain white with long lace sleeves to beat the cold of the winter. Her hair cascaded down to her shoulders in beautiful curls. Her Makeup was light, and nude. _She was absolutely stunning._

"Amelia, you look gorgeous." Maggie spoke as she walked back into the room. She quickly had to leave and fix something with the seating, which she decided to do by herself. Despite the few little kinks though, she did an amazing job.

"Any word from my sisters?" Amelia asked in response, secretly hoping the would be here. Considering they weren't last time, there was a slim chance. Meredith shook her head. "No."

Amelia inhaled sharply. _Whatever. It's whatever, _she thought. Truthfully, she was expecting it. When she told her family she was pregnant and marrying Link, they were immediately skeptical. Which is understandable considering her past, and the other men she's brought home. But she at least deserved the benefit of the doubt. And this time, it was real. Which she _desperately_ wanted them to know. Not that Owen wasn't real… or Ryan… or James, but Link… Link was different. This was true. It was real, and tangible. Despite her insecurities, it wasn't fragile either.

It was pure.

Steady.

Perfectly imperfect.

_It was them. _

"Amelia, I'm sorry." Maggie whispered as she pulled Amelia from her thoughts. She gave her a quick nod, as she moved on from the conversation. "No. It's fine. It's fine." She insisted. "This is Link and I's day, and I won't let them ruin it."

Before they knew it, the wedding had begun.

Frost covered the ground lightly, thought it wasn't freezing cold. Snowflakes fell softly from each evergreen like a hidden wonderland.

The groomsmen, Alex, Nico, and Richard, took their place by the pastor in the field. A beautiful archway was set up, decorated with daisies, baby's breath, and purple tulips. Link made his way up right after, quickly following behind his groomsmen. He was dressed up nicely, his hair neatly held, but also disheveled in it's own way. His suit was slick, along with his tie.

Everyone waited for a few minutes, and soon the music played.

Amelia's bridesmaids walked through to the altar taking their place. First Meredith, then Maggie, and lastly, Jo. Jo was the best friend Link's ever had. She was the one who carried him through so much. He was forever grateful to her, and for her. Then the amazing little flower girls, Ellis and Zola, lead a trail of daises with fits of infectious giggles.

Then, the long awaited bride emerged.

As soon as Link caught Amelia's eyes, his breath was taken away.

She looked absolutely stunning. Her bump even more prominent in the white of the dress, which made him smile even harder.

He couldn't help but cry.

Once she reached him, she took her hand to his face, wiping away the tears that were falling, as tears fell down her eyes as well. He rested his hand on her belly for a moment before smiling and turning to the pastor. He wished this moment would never end.

"Dearly beloved." The pastor began. And as soon as he spoke up, everyone was instantly entranced in the beauty of the day. The minutes passed on, and soon it was time for the vows.

First was Link.

"Amelia." He breathed, taking her hands into his. "You are everything I have ever wanted and more." She began to blush, trying to hold back more tears. "You let me into your life hesitantly, and I knew instantly what I was fighting for. You make me stronger. You make me better. You made me understand just exactly what I was living for. You are fierce, and absolutely ineffable. And I will spend the rest of my life protecting you, and our little boy or girl."

Amelia was barely able to break through her tears. He was truly such a wonderful man, and she couldn't wait to marry him. Her future danced in her mind for a moment before she spoke up again. "Link." She said with a chuckle, as she wiped a tear from her eye. "You are my world. You know, I had thought that I found love so many times in my life. And maybe it was love, i'm not sure. Maybe it was a way to cope with pain, or a way to fill the need deep inside of me. But regardless, you came into my life and I didn't want to let you in." She paused, as another round of tears bubbled inside of her. He squeezed her hand in response. "I was broken." She breathed as she exhaled sharply. "It was messy... But you didn't care. You embraced my mess. You wrapped me in your arms and made me better. And I can't wait to see where life takes us."

There wasn't a dry eye in the entire venue, even Alex shed a few tears.

Silence overtook them all for a moment, as Link held her face.

God her eyes.

Her eyes against the snow, the trees.

She was everything.

And he was never going to let her go.

"And now, the rings." The pastor said as he cleared his throat, he was clearly crying as well. How can you blame him? Everyone else was too. Little Bailey stood from his seat, and handed the priest a small box with the rings inside. They smiled to him, and he quickly resumed his place in the front row.

The rings were exchanged, and soon the ceremony came to a close. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!"

And believe me, Link kissed her.

The rest of the night was spent eating and dancing. The reception was candlelit, and full of so much color and life. It was a night they'll never forget.

Once the was over, things were cleaned, and guests made their way home, Amelia and Link checked into their hotel room, and crashed almost instantly.

"Goodnight husband." She whispered as she cupped his chin in her hands. His beautiful 'chiseled chin' and she liked to call it. Link smiled, placing one hand over hers, and the other on her belly.

"Goodnight… wife."

This was truly the greatest day of their lives...

_or so they thought. _

* * *

**Amelink wedding! Yay! Let me know what you think of this chapter here or via my twitter Mendozas_Closet. A always, thank you for reading, and following me on my journey! *Also, I updated it a little, but only because I put something in incorrectly. But I fixed it haha. To those that read the chapter before the update, nothing really has changed, no worries :)***

**You're all amazing!**

**Stay wicked, **

**The Color Gray**


	6. Chapter 6

_**\- As the frost covers the ground, our love will lead the way-**_

* * *

_**-February 18th-**_

Amelia was at her wits end. She was just two weeks away from her due date, but felt like she had been pregnant forever. She was losing her mind over the waiting, and was nesting like a crazy person. All she wanted was her baby, and she was at the point where she'd do anything to get him/her out. Carina confirmed it could be any day, but this baby was taking their sweet time.

Amelia is still working, though Link insisted she stay off of her feet. It was something they constantly argued over.

_"Teddy did it when she was pregnant with Allison. Mer did it with Bailey."_ _She would say. Link never had a good answer when she'd put it like that. She was Amelia for God's sake, and he knows she does what she wants._

Today in particular was different though. Amelia was ready to call it quits by noon. Sitting in the attending's lounge alone, she laid against the couch nursing a mug of tea. She missed coffee so badly. Her mind wandered. She missed a lot of things. Like being able to tie her own shoes for example, or not being pregnant. She was blessed though. Her pregnancy was easy, and there were no complications. _She just wanted her baby, that's all. _

Her thoughts were interrupted when Maggie walked in. "Hey." She said with a sigh, quickly letting herself fall into the couch. "How you feeling?" She asked. Amelia turned over to her. "Meh. Super pregnant." Maggie laughed in response. "I can imagine. You have two weeks left right?" Amelia sunk deeper into the couch. "Yup. And I cannot wait for-"

Just then, she was interrupted by a winded Link. "Hey!" He said as he practically ran into the door. "Hey." Amelia responded, a bit confused. "I need a neuro consult. I hate to ask but..." Amelia stood up slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm coming." She replied with a smile.

Soon, a code blue alert began to blast through the speakers. "Oh crap!" Link yelled. They both dashed through the halls to the patient's room, only to find Helm in the middle of CPR.

"What happened?" Amelia asked. Helm didn't look up, but spoke quickly in a panicked voice. "I don't know! She was stable a minute ago!"

"She's flatlining." Link spoke.

As soon as he picked up the paddles, Helm spoke out again. "We got a rhythm!"

Instantly, the atmosphere calmed.

"Sooo. Need that consult babe?" Amelia asked.

Link rubbed his forehead, trying to figure out what to do. "Uh, Kelly Jacobson. She was brought in this morning after a car accident." He put his face in his hands for a moment, then looked up.

"I thought she just had a femur fracture, and a pretty nasty concussion, which is why I needed the consult in the first place… but I guess I was wrong."

Amelia began racking her brain for a diagnosis. "Ok. I'll examine her, and see what I find out. At least you called me for the consult before things got worse."

Link smiled and pulled her in close, putting a hand on her belly. "Ok. and don't-" "-Over exert myself?" She replied cutting him off. "I got it."

"You're the best!" He yelled as he walked out of the room.

Amelia quickly walked over to the patient, who was slowly regaining consciousness. "Hi." She said as she placed her hand over hers. "Kelly, I'm Dr. Shepherd. Are you ok?"

Kelly groaned and opened her eyes, quickly scanning the room. "I think." She replied in a whispered tone that was barely audible. "Ok. Well, I'm just going to run a few tests." But before Amelia could do anything, Kelly began throwing up blood. "What's happening?!" She panicked in between fits of vomiting. "Page general!" Amelia yelled to Helm. "She may have ruptured her stomach in the accident. Her stomach lining could be eroding."

Mer answered the page fairly quickly, and within a matter of minutes her, Amelia, and Helm were in the O.R.

"She's losing blood as quickly as i'm putting it in. Helm, we need AB positive blood right now!" Helm quickly spoke to a scrub nurse, and the nurse called the blood bank on the other floor.

"What?!" They heard the nurse yell. "What's wrong Tanya? I need that blood!" Mer yelled.

"The blood bank is locked." Tanya responded.

"What do you mean locked?!" Amelia yelled.

"Apparently the code was changed, and Bailey can't get it to open. The keypad locks aren't responding."

Mer was fuming, This couldn't be happening. "Tell her to try the old code!"

"She did Dr. Grey. She's tried everything she could think of."

"Wait!" Amelia spoke. "Isn't there a blood bank downtown?" She asked.

"Yes." Tanya replied.

"Have Bailey call them. Tell them I'm on my way, and that I need a few pints of AB positive. "

Mer and Helm both shot their heads up in confusion.

"Amelia. What the hell are you doing?" Mer asked angrily. There was no way she was letting Amelia do something like that. Leave in the middle of surgery, and drive downtown by herself at thirty-eight weeks pregnant. No. Way.

Amelia began to strip off her gloves, and make her way to the O.R door. "She's stable." She paused, as she gestured to the patient. "And you have a couple of pints left... I'll be back in an hour." With that, she threw her sterile clothes in the trash, and began to leave the room.

Mer caught her as she was halfway out the door. "We might not have an hour!"

Amelia turned around giving her a somber look. It made Mer both comforted, and angry at the same time. Amelia was always so confident in herself, and it annoyed the absolute hell out of her.

"It's our best shot." She turned back around and made her way out of the scrub room. Running through the halls, she tried to make it to her car as fast as possible. Then, just as she reached the entrance of the hospital, she bumped into Link.

"Hey. DId you hear about the blood bank?" He asked. She looked right past him lost in her thoughts, continuing to walk, but slowly. "Yeah, I'm on my way downtown to pick up some blood for Mer right now."

Links face turned as he grabbed her arm. "What?!"

Amelia looked at him, pulling herself from her thoughts. "Kelly needs blood. Her stomach ruptured, causing her stomach lining to erode. She started throwing up blood, and she's not retaining blood well. It's bad."

Link rubbed his forehead, trying to process the information. "Ok. Ok." He muttered. He didn't know what to do, or say. Why was Amelia going? Why not Helm? His mind swirled. She clearly volunteered, but there was _no way in hell _that he was letting her go.

Amelia grabbed his hand. "Link, I'll be fine."

Her paused, pulling her closer to his embrace. "No. No, I'm coming with you."

Amelia rolled her eyes. "Link." She breathed with a laugh. She loved it when he was protective, but at the same time, there wasn't much time to spare. They needed the blood now.

"No. I'm coming with you. It takes half an hour to get from here to downtown, and I won't risk it. I'm coming."

She began to speak, but quickly shut her mouth. "Fine."

"Oh" He said as he took the car keys from her hand. "I'm driving."

She smirked at him, and gave him a kiss.

And with that, they were on their way.

* * *

It began to snow that morning.

They didn't think anything of it, considering their previous snowstorms weren't half bad. But they didn't realize how bad it truly was until they were fifteen minutes away from their destination. It looked like they already had a few feet, and the roads were absolutely horrible.

"Amelia. Maybe we should turn around." Link suggested, seeing how bad the storm was becoming.

"Link. Kelly needs blood. We have to get to the blood bank."

She quickly grabbed her phone, flipping through the weather forecast just to be safe. What she saw shocked her. "Link."

"Yeah babe?" He asked.

"We're supposed to get five feet of snow... It's a blizzard."

His jaw dropped in response. "Ok, ok, let's just turn around. I'll call Bailey, and see what's going on."

They pulled into an empty parking lot that was barely paved, and Amelia immediately got on the phone with Mer.

They spoke for a few minutes, as did Link with Bailey. Once she hung up, she put her phone in her pocket and turned over to her husband. "No change." She said.

Link nodded his head as he placed his phone down onto his lap. "No change with Bailey either. The blood bank is still locked."

They looked around them as snow began to fall even faster. "Let's get out of here before we get stuck."

He started the car up again, but it wouldn't budge.

He raised his brow, as he looked at the floor, then back at the road.

He started pressing the gas harder.

Nothing.

He continued over and over, but the car wouldn't move.

They were stuck.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" He yelled out.

This really could not be happening.

He put his head in his hands, trying not to scream, as he pounded his fist on the steering wheel."You've gotta be joking."

They were stuck. In an empty parking lot. During a blizzard. With a crisis happening at the hospital.

Perfect.

_This was just perfect._

"Link." Amelia suddenly spoke.

He looked over at her, changing his tone. "Yeah."

She looked down in fear, then back up at him again. Her eyes said it all, and they both began to panic.

"My water just broke."

* * *

**CLIFFHANGER! ****Haha, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, next one will be out ASAP. Just wanted to say thank you for all the comments you guys left me. I truly appreciate every person who says something sweet, favorites, and/or follows. It means the world to me. As always, leave your suggestions here or via my twitter Mendozas_Closet! **

**You're all amazing!**

**Stay wicked,**

**The Color Gray. **


	7. Chapter 7

_**-As the frost covers the ground, our love will lead the way-**_

* * *

"My water broke."

Those words burned themselves into Link's mind. Amelia's water broke. He was about to be a father.

_Holy shit_

"Ok. Ok. Don't freak out. We'll make it the hospital. I'll get us out." He said as he panicked. "Oh! Isn't the shovel in the trunk? I can shovel us out!"

Amelia nodded as she felt a strong contraction. "No. I took it out last week."

Link shot her a look out of fear. _Oh come on he thought. _

"What?" She replied with a deep exhale, running her hand across her bump. The contractions just started, but they were already intense. "We haven't had snow in a couple of weeks! I thought we were done for the season!" She really hated herself for that. Now she was stuck in a snowstorm, in labor, while a crisis was happening at the hospital. Could things get any worse?

Link turned to her, his face filled with defeat. In that moment, he realized that Amelia was probably scared out of her mind. He didn't want to let her know that he was afraid too. He had to be strong for her, so he changed the subject... and his expression. "How you doing?"

Amelia turned to him, tears running down her face. _He was right to change the subject._ She _was _afraid.

She opened her mouth shakily, trying to stop the tears from flowing down her face. "This baby isn't waiting."

After she spoke her breathing became heavy. She pushed herself back into the seat, trying not to panic even more. _This must be exactly how Teddy felt she thought. _

Link paced his hand on her thigh. "Ok, ok." He said. "We're gonna get through this. I know you. You are so strong. We're gonna make it." Amelia began to cry even harder as she took his hand. She nodded back at him, tilting her head, and closing her eyes. "Ok."

Link smiled back at her. _God, she was beautiful he thought. _"Let's call triple A and see if they can come get us."

Amelia relaxed herself. "Ok. I'm gonna call Mer."

A few minutes later, Link hung up the phone more aggravated than ever.

"_But my wife's in labor!" He yelled to the man on the other line. "Sir. I'm sorry, but all of the roads are blocked. We can be there in about five or so hours." _

He slammed his phone down just as the conversation ended. He hated that this problem wasn't solved, and he was on the verge of tears. All he wanted was his baby to be born healthy, and i_n a hospital._ But at this point, the hospital didn't seem to be much of an option with the roads this bad.

"Mer said there wasn't much of a change." Amelia breathed as another contraction came.

"Whoa. That one came really fast." He said as he turned to his wife. "Are you timing them?"

She looked at him as her face contorted. She almost said some not nice things.

He realized his mistake in that moment. "Right, ugh. That's my job."

It had only been a couple of hours, but Amelia's labor just began to progress faster and faster.

She had eventually decided to move to the back, and lay across the seats. It was much more comfortable than the front, and she had more space to move around during contractions.

"How we doing?" Link asked again as Amelia sat up, recovering from a contraction. "Uh. ok. For now. These contractions are painful."

Link handed her a bottle of water, and began to rub her back. "I know. I'm sorry." He said. He hated seeing her in pain. He just wished he could make it stop.

"Why are you sorry?" She asked him.

She was the sweetest woman he knew. Even in the midst of labor, she was still worried about him.

"We made this baby together you know."

"I know." He responded.

"Just don't say…" A contraction came, and she stopped speaking. All that slipped out was a deep moan. "Mhhh." She said with a cry. Link rubbed her back once more, trying to ease her pain.

He looked at his watch, as panic engulfed his whole body. "Amelia, that was within two minutes of your last one."

She let herself relax, resting her head on the seat in front of her. With a breath she turned her face to his. "I noticed."

"Here. Let me check-" Just as he was about to finish his sentence, the car turned off.

"What the hell?" Amelia asked.

Link climbed into the driver's seat, and tried to start the engine.

Nothing.

He turned back to face Amelia, as she sat in anticipation.

"The battery is dead."

"What?!" She yelled in response.

"I can't get it to start."

Just then Amelia cried out in pain. "Link." She spoke with a shaky breath.

"Ok, ok." He quickly scanned the area surrounding them, and eventually pointed his hand to a small building.

"There's an empty building across the street. Let's go there."

Amelia nodded her head, and began to get out of the car. Link quickly grabbed a couple of small blankets that were under the seats, and their phones. Once out of the car, he opened the trunk, hoping that he would find another blanket, but instead, he found something better.

"A medical bag!" He yelled.

Amelia leaned against the car, swaying her hips as she recovered from another contraction. "I forgot I had that there." She said.

Link looked up at her, nodding his head in confirmation as he closed the trunk, and locked the car. "Let's go."

He grabbed Amelia's arm, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "Hey." He said with a tear. "We're having a baby."

Seeing him so emotional made her cry as well. He was truly the best man she knew... the love of her life.

"Mhhm." She muttered as tears slipped down her face. "And most likely in an empty building."

* * *

Once inside, Link laid a blanket down under Amelia, and she relaxed herself against the floor, breathing deeply. It wasn't super cold inside the building to their surprise.

After she got through a couple more painful contractions, He spoke up. "Can I check you?" He asked. She nodded, slowly undressing herself.

Link looked up at her and smiled. Half out of fear, and half out of happiness... he was about to be a father. "Amelia, you're a 10."

She exhaled sharply as she began to cry even harder. "I can't, I can't do this." She sobbed.

He took her hand, rubbing his thumb across her palm. "Yes. Yes you can. Our little chief is coming whether you like it or not. You can do this babe."

She really didn't know if she could do this. She didn't want anything to happen to her baby. She was scared. She knew there was nothing wrong, Carina had confirmed that weeks ago, but that didn't ease her anxiety one bit. She gabbed Link's hand as another contraction came, squeezing it tightly.

"Amelia. You can do this. On the next one, you have to push ok?"

Amelia shook her head. "Mhhm." She muttered, barely able to speak through the pain.

"Ready?" Link asked.

"One, two, three, push!"

Amelia cried out, and began to push.

A few minutes passed, and their baby was halfway here.

"I can see the baby's head!" He yelled out, tears falling from his eyes. The baby had Amelia's dark hair, and it was beautiful.

"Keep going, you can do this!"

Amelia pushed for a few more minutes, but made no progress. She pushed a few more times, and still nothing. She cried out in pain. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Link looked up at her, trying to problem solve. "The baby's shoulder is stuck." He said.

She exhaled, barely taking a moment before responding. "Just do whatever you have to do."

Link hesitated for a moment, afraid of the pain he was about to cause her. Noticing the delay, she yelled out once more. "Just do it!"

And he did.

She cried out in pain as he freed the baby's shoulder. Luckily it was fairly easy, and the baby was just fine. No other complications seemed to arise.

Amelia took a moment to breathe before pushing again. And finally, she began making more progress.

"Come on Amelia, you got this!" Link encouraged.

She exhaled sharply. "I can't anymore!" She yelled as she sank into the floor.

Link kept his gaze downwards, but his words still filled the atmosphere. "Yes you can." He said with a long breath. "The baby is almost here. Just a few more pushes and it'll be in your arms." Amelia whimpered at his words, her strength fading even more.

He looked up at her, his expression changing. "You can do it."

She nodded her head in assurance, trying to muster up as much strength as she could. She sat up once the last contraction was over, and closed her eyes.

With a grunt, she pushed as hard as she could, and Link continued to speak words of encouragement to her.

Finally, the baby shot into Link's arms, and a sharp, beautiful, piercing cry filled the room.

Amelia felt herself relax, as she began to cry even harder. "Is it ok?" She asked.

Link looked up at her, tears flowing from his eyes as he held their sweet little baby.

"She's perfect." He choked, barely able to get the words out as he sobbed in relief, and joy. "She's absolutely perfect." His heart swelled with so much love, he thought it might burst open... but he didn't care. He wanted to feel this love forever.

Amelia looked up. "She?"

She was in absolute shock. Almost unable to accept Link's words, she placed her hand over her forehead, shaking her head softly.

"You were right babe." He said with a laugh.

He quickly cut the cord, and wrapped the baby up, placing her on Amelia's chest.

She was tiny. A carbon copy of Amelia, with lots of dark hair, and eyes that were a deep ocean blue... so blue that Link found himself lost in them from the moment she entered the world.

"She's so beautiful." Amelia sobbed as she held her daughter close, wrapping her arms around her.

Link sat up, walking behind her and letting her body rest into his. She immediately fell into his embrace, as she let out a tired exhale. He didn't blame her though. After what she went through, she deserved all the rest possible.

He wrapped his arms around the both of them, protecting them.

And in that moment, he vowed to never let them go.

They stared at their daughter for what seemed like hours before he spoke up once more. "She's perfect." He didn't know what else to say... he was speechless.

They looked up at each other, their hearts swelling with pride, and bursting with love.

They shared a kiss in that moment.

So pure, so full.

Their love was stronger than ever, and whatever they had, just intensified.

And now, they had a beautiful baby girl to share that love with... forever.

* * *

**It's a baby girl! Yay! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! As always, let me know what you think in the comments or via my twitter! I'm not sure if i'll be able to get the next chapter up next weekend, (I'm going away) so i'll try to get it up sometime before then. If not, just know it'll be up as soon as possible! Love you all lots!**

**You're all amazing! **

**Stay wicked, **

**The Color Gray **


	8. Chapter 8

**_-As the frost covers the ground our love will lead the way-_**

* * *

_"they shared a kiss in that moment. So pure, so full._

_Their love was stronger than ever, and whatever they had, just intensified._

_And now, they had a beautiful baby girl to share that love with."_

* * *

"Amelia, the paramedics are here."

Amelia and Link just experienced the whirlwind which was their daughters entrance into this world. They had forgotten to call an ambulance before, but not long after their little girl was born Link remembered, and picked up the phone.

_"Hi! Yeah uh. My wife just had a baby… in an abandoned building downtown. They're both fine, uh- oh our car? Yeah, it's stuck. 45 minutes or so? Ok, perfect. Thank you." _

And they made it to them in perfect timing.

Amelia looked at him with concern, as he tried to help her stand. She didn't take his hand, but instead brought her gaze down to their baby. "Amelia, babe." He spoke. She met his eyes for a moment, trying not to let him on. Regardless, she knew he knew.

"Just… wait."

She looked down at their daughter sharply, then at the clock on her phone screen.

Their baby girl had been alive for approximately 42 minutes and 30 seconds... And Amelia wasn't going to let her go until she passed the 43 minute mark. She didn't want to move… she could barely even breathe.

"Babe?" Link asked.

"Just wait! Please?" Then, she took a look at her phone screen once more, and sure enough, the dreaded 43rd minute had hit. Amelia took a sharp inhale, holding her daughter closer to her chest, and locking eyes with the now sleeping girl. She held her breath for what seemed like forever, as a tear slipped out of her eye. She watched her baby girls chest continue to rise and fall so peacefully. '_She's fine'_ Amelia repeated to herself. '_She is going to be fine.'_

_'She is not dying. _

_She is not dying.'_

She chanted those words in her mind like some sort of mantra, desperate for everything to be fine... and everything was fine. But she was still scared to death that in a moment... it wouldn't be.

Link walked over to her, waving away the paramedic standing beside him. "What's wrong?" He asked, knowing far too well what her answer would be.

"Christopher lived for… he lived for 43 minutes." She let out as more tears continued to fall.

She knew that their baby was fine. Why wouldn't she be? Yet at the same time, this crippling fear bubbled inside of her. What if she wasn't fine? She quickly grabbed Link's hand, squeezing it tightly.

He knelt down, and cupped her face softly. "So let's wait." He whispered.

They locked eyes for a moment, the anxiety slightly washing away. The fear beginning to melt softly, like snow banks in the spring.

"Let's wait through this minute together." He assured her. "And the next, and the next, and the next." Amelia laughed slightly, as she began to fully sob.

"Every minute with her is and _will_ be amazing. So let's go through this next minute together… as a family."

Amelia was in hysterics as she looked down at their baby girl once more. She was perfect... _And she was here. _She looked at the clock on her phone screen again, and the minute had passed. She let out the biggest sigh of relief, and only began to cry harder.

She looked down at their baby shaking her head back and forth, almost forcing assurance on herself. "Her eyes widened as she took a deep breath... her first in hours. "She's here." She spoke.

Link knew exactly what she meant. _She was here. _

They stayed still for a moment, quiet. Just looking at their baby... their little blessing... their glimmer of hope... and everything seemed to wash away. Every feeling of doubt and fear, of panic and uncertainty. Would it linger? Most likely. But what dominated now was love. So much love. And perfect love casts out _all_ fear.

Their bubble was soon burst by the paramedics, whom they had forgotten all about.

"Ok." Link sighed. "Let's get you girls to the hospital then."

* * *

At the hospital, (which was no longer in panic, and had a blood bank that was unlocked thanks to Parker) people took turns visiting Amelia, Link, and their amazing little girl... who was yet to be named.

"She's so beautiful." Mer said as she held her close. "Do you have a name for her yet?"

Link stuttered a bit. "Uh. Not yet." In all of what happened in the last 12 hours, a name was the last thing on their to-do list He had a few he liked for a boy, but not many for a girl. Unless Scout was considered gender-neutral. Yet again, Amelia didn't like that name in first place. It's not like they hadn't talked about names, they had talked very briefly, but they never definitely decided on one.

Mer smiled, "well, I'm sure whatever you pick will be beautiful."

Just then, her pager went off.

"Ugh. Duty calls." She handed the baby over to Amelia, and smiled. "I love you." She said as she walked out the door. Amelia waved her off, and looked down at her daughter, who was now snuggled into her arms. She let out a big yawn, and Amelia chuckled in response.

Link signaled for Amelia to scoot over, and he sat down next to her. Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her close, embracing her softly. "She's absolutely perfect you know." He said.

Amelia ran her fingers over their daughter's small head, amazed with every little detail on her face. Her nose, just like her own. Her eyes, a crystal blue. Her chin, just like Link's, and her beautiful dark hair. She was everything she could have ever hoped for.

"I know." She whispered.

She might be biased, but she was the most beautiful baby she had ever laid eyes on. Just then, she shifted a little, and cleared her throat. Causing Link to have her full attention."You know…" She started.

He raised his brow. "What?"

"I think… I think I have the perfect name for her."

They sat in silence for a moment, the air full of anticipation. Link wasn't sure exactly what she would say… but he had an idea, and he knew it would be exactly that... perfect.

Amelia took a deep breath, slipping her head back down for a moment to take a glimpse of their daughter, before lifting it back up again.

"Hope."

A tear fell down Link's eye. She was right… it was perfect. That was the one, no questions asked.

"Hope Eyra Shepherd-Lincoln... our little chief." Amelia paused and chuckled, thinking about how perfect the middle name fit, even though she was unsure at first.

"You wanna know what Eyra means?" She asked. Link nodded, raising his head up to meet her eyes. She searched his for a minute, trying to get the words out without her hormones taking over, and finding comfort in his love. "Snow.." She said. "it means snow." She then pushed her hair back, and took his hand in her own. "And snow symbolizes new beginnings. New... opportunities, and innocence..."

Link smiled, trying to hold back more tears himself. That is exactly what their little girl is. A new beginning. Like a hard reset on this life that they lived. All the brokenness and shame they've felt. Every up and down they went through brought them here... to this new beginning. He pulled himself from his thoughts, and squeezed Amelia's hand."Considering the fact that she was born in the middle of a blizzard... in February?" He laughed. "I love it." Looking at their daughter, his heart filled with pride. It was the perfect, most beautiful name he had ever heard. "I absolutely love it."

She let go of his hand, and carefully handed him the baby. Her arms feeling immense relief as she stretched them forward. Despite the fact that she didn't want to let her go, her arms did need a break.

Link held her close, unable to stop the tears from flowing. "Hi Hope." Amelia leaned on his shoulder, the exhaustion only now hitting from they day they had just had. She was tired… but it was all worth it.

Link gave her a kiss on the forehead as she looked over at Hope as well. They watched in amazement as she let out a soft yawn, and they both smiled back at her. He felt himself become overwhelmed with joy. "Yeah, I'm your dad." He replied to her, his eyes intent on her little face as he watched every little thing she did.

His heart was completely cracked open.

_Her_ heart was completely cracked open.

Collectively, they would never be the same again.

You know, he used to wonder how you could love someone so small in such an intense way... but he knows now.

She was wrapped around his finger, and there was no turning back.

He spoke up once more, ending the silence of the moment. "I am going to protect you until my dying breath baby girl." He shuffled in the bed as he sat up straighter, trying to speak to her more comfortably. "We are going to do so many things together, and have so much fun." He paused, a small chuckle escaping "And I will _never_ let you date."

Amelia smiled, lifting her head up and catching his gaze.

They stared into each others eyes. How did they get so lucky?

The beauty of everything was almost overwhelming. The happiness and joy was earth shattering. The fear lingering, yet silenced. And the peace... oh the peace. it felt like the first snowfall of the season. Where all of a sudden everything is quiet. Calm. The hustle and bustle completely hushed.

That is exactly what if felt like... and everything was falling into place now.

It was all going to be ok.

Suddenly, their lives had more meaning, and yet their journey was only just beginning.

Everything would be ok, as long as _she_ was by their side.

* * *

**If you couldn't tell by now, I absolutely LOVE winter lol. Anyways, what'd you guys think of this chapter?! I hope you liked it! It's inspired by a tweet I saw, (I believe it was Kevarinaxo who tweeted it. Not sure.) and the person said something along the lines of "Imagine Amelia not letting go of the baby until past the 43rd minute." And I knew I had to put that into writing! **

**Also, picking a middle name actually killed me because I had sooo many different ideas... and yet I didn't use any of them and chose something else haha.**

**As I predicted I had literally zero time to write last weekend, but I'm back now! **

**I had a huge audition, and as of Tuesday I found out that I made it to the 2nd round! Yay! Keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I go through the 2nd round, I'm a little stressed. **

**That's beside the point, but thank you all for the support! Next chapter will be out ASAP! **

**As always, let me know your thoughts here or via my twitter!**

**You're all amazing! Stay wicked, stay cool, stay fresh ;) **

**-The Color Grey. **


	9. Chapter 9

**-As the frost covers the ground, our love will lead the way-**

* * *

**-May 10th, 2020-**

"You ready to go?"

Those words burned themselves into Amelia's mind. She and Link had spent the last 3 weeks at home with their newborn baby girl, and Link was the only one to leave the house when needed. Despite his persistence, she decided that she didn't want to go anywhere for awhile. She needed time to process and heal… and time to grieve her son. Eventually he convinced her to leave the house, even if it was only for a few hours.

Amelia looked down at Hope, who was sleeping peacefully in her arms. She often found herself lost when she looked at her. She was so innocent. So small… but so mighty. She looked down at Link, who was folding the stroller so they could pack it in the car. "Yeah. I guess." She shrugged, softly bouncing the sleeping baby.

"Amelia. It's ok if you-" She cut him off with a wave of her arm. "No. no. It's like you said. I have to leave the house at some point. Plus, we're taking her with us… so it won't be so bad."

Link nodded, continuing to fold up the stroller. "You got her car seat?" He asked. Amelia turned around, and signaled to it. "Yeah, it's right here."

They grabbed everything they needed, and soon were in the car.

"She's ok back there, right?" Amelia asked warily as she bit her lip. "I'm sure she's fine." Link replied as he rubbed her shoulder. Amelia sat back anxiously, unable to calm herself down.

This was what she missed with Christopher. She never got to take him out for the first time, or dress him. She never got the chance to see him grow. She had a right to be worried, and she understood why… but she wished it would stop.

Link grabbed her hand. "Hey. She is the most resilient and strong little girl. She's fine. And she'll continue to become even _more _resilient and strong… just like her mom."

Amelia squeezed his hand in response, as she met his eyes. He always knew what to say. Even if it wasn't what she wanted to hear, it was always what she needed.

They spent the rest of the car ride in silence, Amelia casually looking back at her daughter every once in a while just to be sure. Once they arrived, she let out a gasp. "My favorite Italian place?" She asked. "How did you get a reservation here? The waits are usually crazy long."

Link smirked as he opened her door. "I have my ways."

They made their way inside, and found a perfect little table by the window. It was dim, and candlelight. Which was Amelia's favorite part about that restaurant.

"Do you remember when we first came here?" She asked. Breaking the relative silence of the room. He smiled as he looked up from the menu. "I remember you asking me about having sex with more than one person." He said with a laugh. Amelia turned beat red as she blushed. "Hey!" She yelled as she smacked his hand playfully. "I was pregnant with your daughter you know. We all know my hormones were wild then."

"Yeah. They were crazy _just _then." He replied sarcastically. She laughed softly, even though she secretly wanted to smack him again. But she refrained herself.

You know, It had been a crazy ten months for them. They were barely together when she got pregnant, and their decision to stay together for their daughter was the best decision they had ever made.

Sex, pregnancy, dating, and marriage. Definitely an odd order for things to be done, but then again, they always did things the 'odd' way.

Amelia turned to the baby in the stroller. She was still sound asleep, so calm. She was such an amazing baby. She barely cried, and was always so mellow. _Definitely something she got from Link_ Amelia thought to herself.

She took a deep inhale, not taking her eyes off of her. "Can you believe she's gonna be a month old next week?" She asked, her heart breaking a little. It was so bittersweet watching her baby grow up so quickly. On the one hand she loved seeing her change, and become the person she was meant to be. But on the other hand, she wanted her to stay little forever. It was almost unreal.

"I really can't." Link said as he placed his menu down. "But I feel like I've known her my entire life. So I guess it's a bit believable." He smiled once more, meeting Amelia's gaze. They stared on for a moment, before they were interrupted by a waiter waiting to take their order.

They ate and laughed for what seemed like hours, and left the restaurant incredibly happy. Once they got to their car, she plopped herself into the passengers seat stuffed as ever."Ready to go home?" She asked. Link placed the baby in her car seat, buckled her up, and climbed into the driver's seat. He turned over to her with a smile. "Not yet."

Amelia raised her brow. "Atticus Lincoln." She said playfully. "I have one more surprise."

They drove in silence for a bit, before Amelia began asking questions. Link smiled and waved them all off. "Not telling." He replied.

Eventually they pulled up to a small field, and as Amelia stepped out, she saw his surprise.

"Link." She gasped, as he came up behind her, holding Hope in his arms. She buried herself in his chest, and kissed him softly. "I knew you'd love it."

There was a picnic basket in the middle of the grass, with desserts on top of a small, red blanket, and electronic candles were lit all around.

"How did you do this?" She asked completely surprised. "_When_ did you do this?"

"A couple hours before we left." He gestured to the blanket, and they made their way down the hill and sat down.

A few minutes passed, and they settled in. Even though Amelia was full, there was no way she was gonna skip out on dessert.

"So you just set up, and hoped no one would steal it?" She asked with a smile, as she ate around the frosting on a cupcake.

He always loved when she did that. For some reason she loved cupcakes, but hated the frosting on them. It was something he would never understand, but would always admire. "Sort of." He laughed as he swayed back and forth. Hope was awake now, but calm. Her eyes just stared up at the sky, and at her dad.

Link looked down at her. "Hey baby girl." He cooed.

Amelia's heart just about burst open. She loved seeing the love of her life with the other love of her life. She was wrapped around his finger, and Amelia knew that he was gonna spoil her.

They spent the rest of the night admiring the stars, and their baby girl.

It was the perfect way to end their first night out… as a family.

* * *

**Hey all, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know I haven't updated in a couple of weeks, as things have been crazy., but I will continue to try and get these chapters up weekly like before. Thanks for all your reviews, comments, and follows. I appreciate all of you! As always tell me what you think here or via my twitter. **

**You're all amazing!**

**-The Color Gray**


	10. Chapter 10

_**-As the frost covers the ground, our love will lead the**** way-**_

* * *

**June 3rd, 2020**

"You ready for your first day back?" Link asked Amelia with a smile, as he swung Hope's diaper bag across his shoulder.

Amelia walked into the hallway, holding the baby in her arms. Truthfully, she wasn't sure how to answer his question. Did she miss digging into brains and saving lives? Of course she did. Did she miss the rush? The smell of antiseptic in O.R 1 right before a surgery? Always. But even after the generous leave she was given, she still didn't want to leave her daughter.

Link looked over at her, his face confused as he stared into his wife's eyes. She gave him no response, which inclined him to believe her mind was somewhere else. He placed his hand on her shoulder and rubbed his thumb softly against her arm. "Babe?" He asked. She snapped herself back to reality. "Hmm?" She blinked a few times and then shook her head. "Uh. yeah. Ready as I'll ever be."

She wasn't ready. _She wasn't ready at all. _

As soon as they arrived at the hospital, they were greeted by lots of their friends. They each took a turn holding the baby, and before they knew it, it was only 20 minutes before rounds. They made their way to the attending's lounge, Hope in tow, just so they could spend a little more time together before the day fully started.

"Do you have my other sneaker?" Amelia asked as she rummaged through her bag. Link turned and passed it to her. "Uh. Right here."

"You know, we really should bring her to daycare."

Amelia pursed her lips, giving him puppy dog eyes. "Just a few more minutes?" She asked.

Link pulled her close and kissed her smile. "Fine."

As they walked down to the daycare Amelia could only feel her anxiety increase. They finally got to the door, and were greeted by a couple of the staff members. She turned to Link as she bit her lip. He gestured forwards, mouthing to her to let Hope go. She hesitated, but eventually gave in.

Amelia looked at her daughter, kissing her quickly. "If she won't stop fussing just give her the pink bunny." She said to the staff member with a nod, as Link handed her the diaper bag.

"And if anything happens, please page us." She added, before Link pulled her into his embrace, and began to lead her in the other direction. "Will do doctor Shepherd." The staff member spoke as she watched the new parents walk away.

_Today is going to be a good day _Amelia repeated to herself, even though all she really wanted was to be back home with her daughter.

* * *

"Dr. Shepherd! How's your first day going?" Amelia heard a familiar voice ask from behind her. She had just finished a surgery, and was scrubbing out as Bailey entered the scrub room."Uh, it's good." She nodded as she finished washing her hands. "I mean… I miss my daughter."

Bailey sighed. "I remember the feeling." She said as she touched her shoulder.

"Did you..?" Amelia began to ask before she paused. "Did you ever get really anxious about leaving Tuck? Because I feel like I could burst any second, and I feel this…. Need... to be with her."

Amelia was wringing her hands, pacing in circles with her gaze on the floor. Bailey took a deep inhale. "All the time." She said. In this moment, all she could think of was little Tuck. Every day he continues to grow up, and she just wishes it would slow down. "But that's what makes us parents. We're supposed to worry."

Amelia looked up from the floor, locking eyes with Bailey. "All the time?" She asked. "Like, this worry will never fade?"

Bailey let out a laugh. "Nope. Never."

They parted ways, and Amelia headed to the O.R board. When she saw she had no surgeries for the rest of the day, she decided to head to the research lab, but not before making a quick stop. She headed to the daycare, and scooping Hope up in her arms, she made her way back to the lab. Not long after, Hope fell asleep, and she was left alone. As she watched Hope sleep in her car seat right beside her, she couldn't help but feel immense gratitude.

Gratitude that her and Link are working. Gratitude that her baby girl is alive and healthy. The good can be overwhelming at times, but that doesn't mean she's not completely and utterly thankful for it.

Just then, as she was lost in her mind, Teddy entered the room.

"Hey!" She spoke as she walked inside.

"Hey." Amelia responded with a smile.

"I just-" Teddy began, but then stopped when she saw the baby. "Is that Hope?" She asked.

"No…. yes."

Teddy smiled, and sat down across from her. "She's beautiful." She said.

Amelia's face lit up every time she thought about her baby girl, and every time someone mentioned her.. Forget it. Her face perked up instantaneously.

"Yeah, I just missed her today. So I decided to steal her for a bit."

"Hey, I'm not judging." Teddy replied. "I brought Allison into the gallery last week, and it was_ definitely_ not for the first time... or last." They both shared a laugh. "Hey. It's hard. It's hard to leave them, it's hard to miss them." Teddy said with a sigh as she though of her own baby. It never gets easier. You find yourself always missing them, even when you need break. And when you have that break, you just want them back.

"It's hard to _live_ without them." Amelia added with an exhale, on the verge of tears. Teddy nodded with a longing look. Amelia was absolutely right.

"Well. I was going to ask for a consult." Teddy said with a pause. "but that can wait. I'm gonna see my baby girl instead." She sat up, gave Amelia a loving pat on the shoulder, and walked through the door with a wave.

Amelia wave back, and then looked down at her baby again. "You really have no idea how much I love you."

* * *

The day was over in the blink of an eye, and before she knew it it was time to go home. As she stood up from her chair, a frantic Link ran into the room. "Hope's not in daycare!" He yelled in a panic, before realizing Amelia had her the whole time. She put an arm on his shoulder as he sighed. "Relax. I picked her up a few hours ago."

He raised his brow at her with a smirk, and she hit his arm playfully. 'What? I was bored in the lab."

"Mmhmm." He replied. She smacked his arm once more, before a smile erupted on her lips.

"Let's go home."

* * *

**Hey all! I'm back! These last few weeks the writers block has been real. It's not my favorite chapter, but it'll do for now haha. I'm sorry I haven't been as active, but I will continue to try post every Friday. I also have a Timeless fic planned, and a couple Manifest ones as well! I wanna expand my horizons a bit and try something new. Let me know what you think about that in the comments! **

**As always, let me know what you thought about this chapter here or via my Twitter!**

**I love you all! **

**Stay wicked, stay cool, stay fresh, stay awesome :)**

**-The Color Gray**


	11. Chapter 11

_**-As the frost covers the ground, our love will lead the way-**_

* * *

**-February 18th, 2021-**

"How did the time fly by so fast?" Link asked as he picked up his now one year old baby girl from her place on the floor. She had started crawling a few weeks prior, and hasn't stopped since. For only being a year old, Hope was ridiculously active.

Today was her first birthday, and Amelia and Link weren't doing too well. Their emotions had been all over the place for the last few days, but today, on her actual birthday, their hearts broke open even more.

They loved seeing their little girl grow, but at the same time the change grieved them. As much as they wanted to see her have a full life, they wanted her to stay little forever.

Amelia walked out of the kitchen shaking her head, quickly stealing a kiss before sitting down on the couch beside him. She had been struggling to talk about it the last few days. She wasn't always great with words.

"I have no clue."

Link sat Hope in his lap, holding her close. "It feels like just yesterday she was born."

Amelia smiled, thinking about everything that happened that day. _What a day it was. _

"Yeah, that was an eventful day for sure." She said with a laugh. "The blood bank being shut down, getting stuck in the snow… having her in a random building downtown.." She smiled again. Her life had been everything _but_ simple, and everything that happened last year just proved how insane things can get… even when the day starts out normal. "But… I'd do it 100 times again for her."

She looked over at her perfect baby girl as she tried not to let tears fall. The gratitude she felt swallowed her daily. The joy, the laughter, It was all so immense.

She sighed as she looked at the time "I should probably get her down before people start coming."

Link hesitated as he shifted himself in the other direction, not wanting to let Hope go. Amelia tilted her head, pursing her lips. "Fine." He spoke. Amelia stood up with the baby and began to walk upstairs. "Bring her back?" He asked jokingly. She nodded, letting a smile peek out from the side of her lips. "You got it."

Before they knew it, it was time for the party. All of their close friends and family gathered to celebrate their beautiful little girl. And to be honest, it was emotional for all of them. After everything Amelia has been through to finally have a healthy baby. After everything Link went through with his family. It was finally working for for them. It was all coming full circle.

Every little moment with family is precious, and seeing someone grow before your eyes is always bittersweet. Their family was complicated, but they wouldn't change it for the world.

They sang happy birthday, ate some cake, and now everyone was scattered in the kitchen and living room chatting. Link walked into the room and cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. Amelia walked forward to stand beside him. Hope was in her arms fighting sleep, even after her long nap just a few hours before the party.

"Amelia and I just wanted to thank you all for coming by to celebrate our little girl and her first year of life." Everyone smiled at his words, some were already wiping tears away. "We love her so much, and can't wait to see what she becomes. We know she's gonna do great things." He paused, holding back tears himself. "And we would especially like to thank you all for being our village."

The entire room erupted in tears, including Link. Even though he tried to fight it, he couldn't hold it in anymore. He couldn't believe that his little girl was one, let alone the fact that he had such an amazing group of people who were a part of her life.

Never in a million years would he have imagined a life like this.

The party resumed, and everyone began talking once more. Ellis, Harriett, Leo, and Bailey continued to run around. Zola sat and talked to the adults like usual with wide eyes, desperate to be part of the conversation. She's more mature at nine than most people are at twenty five. She always wants to know what's going on, and is definitely too smart for her own good.

Amelia leaned into Link's embrace. She quickly turned her head when she heard him sniffle. "Are you… still crying?" She asked as she spotted a tear fall from his cheek.

"No." He responded as he sniffled once more. "Ok yes, but only a little." He said as he pointed his finger. They both let out a chuckle as they met each other's eyes. They could stay forever like this. Lost in each others eyes, no need for conversation... just love.

"Hey? Am I not allowed to be emotional?"

Their moment was interrupted when they heard a sudden knock at the front door. Amelia turned her head at the sound, then placed her hand on Link's arm. Truthfully, she didn't want to leave the moment. Neither did he. They looked at each other again, before she slowly let herself free of his embrace. "I got it."

She quickly walked to the door, opening it with a smile.

Her jaw dropped when she saw who was waiting behind it.

"Ryan?"

* * *

**Hey all! Hope you liked this chapter! Why do you think Ryan showed up? As always, let me know what you think in the comments or via my twitter! **

**I have a new chapter of The Path of the Sojourner and Paper Hearts on the way as well. Also, I wasn't expecting Paper Hearts to be a favorite so quickly! I'm so glad ya'll like it! (Would you believe the idea just came to me and I wrote it in like 30 minutes?!) I'm super grateful for inspiration, as I have seasons where it's sparse.**

**But anyways, thank you all for reading, and sticking with me through this time. You're the actual best!**

**-The Color Gray**


	12. Chapter 12

_**-As the frost covers the ground, our love will lead the way-**_

* * *

Amelia's jaw dropped as she saw who was waiting behind the door.

"Ryan?" She whispered into the empty air.

No. It couldn't be.

Ryan is dead.

Her body contracted downwards, almost like her gut was being punched in. Maybe she was seeing things.

She breathed out, trying to catch her breath.

No. This can't be. _This can't be real._

She blinked, and once her eyes adjusted, the shadow of Ryan faded.

_It wasn't him,_ but yet another ghost from her past. A ghost she's long since forgotten about.

"J-James?"

He nodded at her question, looking her straight in the eye.

"Uh-hey."

Amelia shook her head in disbelief. "Why are you- how are you..?"

He began to speak, but looked down for a moment. That was when he realized that not only was there a half asleep baby in her arms… but she was also wearing a wedding ring.

He wondered why he was even there in the first place. He wasn't a spur of the moment person like Amelia, but he found himself not satisfied with social media and guessing. He wanted to find out for himself how she was… and clearly she was fine.

"You know what…?" He spoke with a point in her direction and a slight nod. "I should go."

"No." She cut him off, slipping through the door and heading to the porch. She gestured to the empty space, adjusting Hope in her arms as she fully fell asleep.

They sat in silence before he spoke up. "So… you're married?" Amelia bit her lip as she swayed softly, the dead weight of her sleeping daughter beginning to hurt her shoulder. "Yeah. I am. You?"

James hesitated for a second. "No."

Amelia didn't really know how to respond. This wasn't making any sense. "Oh."

"James it's been years. Why haven't you called?" She asked softly, still swaying to make sure Hope would stay asleep, and to see if she could relieve some of the weight.

James let out a sharp exhale."We left things unfinished in LA, and you moved here and… I assumed…."

"You assumed?" She asked as she raised her brow.

He sighed, looking down at his feet for a moment before looking back up. "I assumed you'd done what you always do. Move on to another guy…. or two."

Amelia scoffed at his comment, but yet she understood where he was coming from. She really can't blame him for his feelings. "Well. I'm happily married to my husband, and as you can see we have a baby." She rebutted almost out of spite. But again, she can't blame him for feeling the way he does.

James looked back down, almost beginning to pace. "What's his name?" He asked gesturing to the baby. This time it was genuine, and not riddled with guilt and anger.

"_Her_ name is Hope. Hope Eyra."

Suddenly James spoke up. "Snow."

Amelia was taken back. She had no idea he would know the meaning of the baby's middle name. But then again, James was smart like that.

"Yeah… She was- born during a blizzard." Amelia laughed.

James smiled. "Clever Shepherd. Pretty clever."

"So…?" She asked.

"So…?" He replied.

"Don't play coy. What are you doing here James?"

James wanted to kiss her.

He wanted to kiss her desperately…

but he couldn't do that. She's married, she has a daughter.

"Truthfully… I wanted to check on you." Some sort of half lie. "And see how you're doing… " He paused, putting his hands in his pockets and slightly rocking backwards. "But I can see that you're fine. So… I'll be on my way."

He walked off, and she didn't walk after him.

How could she? They were a thing of the past… and she had Link.

"James!" She felt herself yell. He turned back, halfway down the front steps. "Take care of yourself?" She asked. He stopped walking, and turned around. He nodded back at her before continuing.

"You too."

The next few days blurred by as Amelia couldn't stop thinking about her conversation with James. She came straight inside after the encounter, and even though Link asked who was at the door, she lied, just going on with the rest of the party. Link knew something was up with her after that, but kept it to himself for the next few days. Eventually when they were settled in bed, he decided it was time to see what was really going on.

"Are you ok Amelia?" He asked as he turned to her.

"Yeah... fine."

He raised his eyebrow. He knew she was lying.

"Fine." She spoke.

"Do you... do you remember my ex James?" Link was taken back. "I think so... why?"

"He was the one who came to the door during Hope's birthday party."

Link didn't know how to respond. He was full of anger, and confusion. "Why?" He asked shaking his head.

"He said... he wanted to check in on me." She breathed. She could tell Link was mad just by his body language.

He scoffed. Honest to God he was ready to punch the dude.

"Again... why?"

Amelia tiled her head, putting her hand on his arm. "I don't know. We left things unresolved... but I have you now." They smiled at each other. "And nothing will ever take me away from you."

Link placed his hand on her face, pulling her closer. "Promise?"

Amelia kissed him, holding him close. "I promise. Now can we go to sleep?" They laughed, holding each other close and snuggling into the covers.

_Everything will be fine_ she told herself. Her and James are though, and they have been for years.

_But James didn't feel that way._

* * *

**Hey all! Thanks for reading this chapter! **

**What do you think is gonna happen with James in the future? Will he be in Seattle for good?**

**As always, let me know what you think in the comments or via my twitter! A new chapter of Paper Hearts will be up soon also! (I needed time to process after the finale LOL) **

**Love you all!**

**-The Color Gray **


	13. Chapter 13

_**-As the frost covers the ground, our love will lead the way-**_

* * *

_**-March 13th, 2021-**_

Amelia's felt uneasy ever since James arrived in Seattle. Something about it all felt wrong, and he had begun acting possessive of her.

Not only that, but he was meeting with Bailey and Koracick to ask for a job. Meredith told her the previous night in a panic, and she couldn't believe it was happening. And to top it all off, she had been feeling under the weather.

Once her day started though, it was good. And in the most naive fashion, she thought she could avoid running into James at work... but she was wrong.

She stepped out of the elevator after dropping Hope off at daycare, and parting ways with Link. Something about this day felt good, but that feeling was wrecked when she saw _him _walk by. She let her head sink down, trying to wisk herself off in a different direction, but he caught wind of her.

"Oh hey!" James asked with a wave, trying to get her attention.

She sighed, letting herself be pulled back by his words. "H-hey." She replied with a wry smile. She desperately did not want to talk to him.

They sat in silence for a moment. The awkwardness pulsating. _God I wanna die _she thought to herself.

"So- you got any interesting cases today?" He asked, breaking the pause.

"No. Just a Craniotomy at 10, and a Chordoma removal at 4… you?" Did she even really wanna ask? No. But she decided to just try to be polite.

He smiled back at her. He could tell she was feeling awkward. "Well. I'm actually heading into a meeting with Koracick and Chief Bailey. I'm gonna ask for a job."

Amelia nodded, not even trying to act surprised by this information. "I heard. Congratulations."

"Thank you." He replied with a nod, not daring to ask how she had already heard he was asking for a job. He knew they were tightly knit here, and she probably had someone tell her at some point.

Again, _deafening_ awkward silence filled the space between them. It made Amelia feel crippled inside, and not from the nausea that resided inside of her.

"Well I better- uh-" She stuttered as she pointed behind her, nonchalantly letting him know she was about to walk way. "Yeah, yeah." He said. "Me too. Bye."

They parted ways, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with him. And to think, this day started off decent.

* * *

"You ok?" Maggie asked abruptly as she walked into the blue light room, only to find Amelia sitting down, letting herself lay back. She was drenched in a pool of her own sweat, and she looked like she was about to throw up. "Yeah. I'm fine… just nauseous."

Maggie could see right through her bull. "No. You're sick." Amelia slowly sat up in the chair, her face a mixture of green and ghost-like pale. "I'm fine Maggie." she tried to brush it off, but she knew Maggie wouldn't let her.

Maggie crossed her arms over her chest, giving her a stare. She was right. Of course Maggie wouldn't let her get out of this.

"You're sitting in the blue room, covered in clammy sweat." Amelia sighed. Just as she was about to try talk her way out of this and explain herself, Maggie waved her off. "You're sick Amelia... Go home."

Amelia sighed once more, slowly getting up from the chair she was in. she almost spun from the sickness she was feeling. _Dammit Maggie_ she thought to herself. She pointed to the door as Amelia pouted back at her, making her way through the threshold slowly.

"You suck." She said as she turned the corner. "Love you too."

Her stomach turned as she walked through the hall. Maybe Maggie was right. Maybe she should go home. She was almost to the elevators when she saw the only person she didn't want to see.

As soon as they made eye contact, he made his way over to her. His face was steaming with anger. _Oh my god, _she thought._ Just what I need._ "Are you fucking kidding me Amelia?" James practically screamed from across the room. She was immediately taken back by his sudden outburst. He quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her into his embrace forcefully. "Did you say something to Koracick?" He spat with gritted teeth.

She wiggled her arm away, glaring at him. "James what the hell!?"

He shook his head in disbelief, only a moment away from completely exploding. "Did you fucking tell Koracick something that wouldn't get me hired?!"

He didn't get the job.

She was completely shocked… everybody loves James. Well, almost everybody.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She said to him as she started to walk past, brushing against his shoulder.

He grabbed her arm again, pulling her backwards. "Oh, I think you do." He turned, creeping closer and closer to Amelia, the warmth of his breath slithering against her skin.

"You just don't want me here." She looked around, everybody and their mother was staring at them. Why couldn't he have done this in private?

He pushed his face closer to hers, gaining back her attention. "Is that it? Is that the reason you whore?!" Amelia lost it, slapping him across the face as hard as she possibly could. He was stunned as she caught his balance, placing a hand on his red cheek.

"James!" She yelled. "Don't you ever call me a whore. And I never said anything to Koracick or Bailey." she paused, her breath sharp as she tried to conceal her rage… and intense urge to throw up. "Don't ever talk to me again." She snapped.

Just then, he grabbed her face sharply, pulling her into him, and pressing his lips against hers. He was kissing her.

She fought her way out of his grip, slapping him square across the face once more. He was left staggering back, his face full of shock. shock because of her slapping him, and because of how he was acting.

She walked as fast as she could in the other direction, James waiting still by the elevators, catching his breath_. Why the hell did I do that? _He asked himself.

Amelia found herself even more sick to her stomach as she reached the bathroom. She sat on the floor, vomiting everything inside of her.

She sat back against the stall, trying to get herself to calm down and breathe. Either Maggie was right, or the James situation was stressing her out_ just_ that much.

She heard the door open, and a familiar voice break through the fear she was feeling. "Amelia?" Link asked hesitantly. She knew she wasn't supposed to be in the ladies room, but she didn't give a shit.

"I'm in here." She replied.

He pushed open the door, only to find her panting, and practically passed out from exhaustion. "Oh my god. Is everything ok?" He asked full of panic.

She nodded her head back and forth, the tears slipping through her eyes. "No."

She didn't want to tell Link right now, she couldn't. And he knew that, just like how he knew it was James that was causing the problem.

"Ok." He replied lovingly as she let himself slide down the stall, making his way to Amelia's side. He grabbed her hand, pulling her in close. She placed her head on his shoulder, immediately calming down.

He had that ability you know. He could calm her down in the worst of situations. "But at least tell me tomorrow."

"Mhhm." She replied softly. And with that, she began to throw up again.

"Amelia. Let me take you home, you're clearly sick." She sat back again, wiping her mouth. "No. It's fine."

"Amelia. You're sick." Link said as he rubbed her back. She was always like this. She never wanted to admit when something was wrong, and just pushed through until her body couldn't anymore. She was so strong, but could never give her body the rest it needed.

"No. I'm not sick Link." She replied, a huge smile creeping on her face. "Well, yeah I'm sick but…"

Link stared confused... until it hit him.

"Wait… are you saying…."

Amelia grinned from ear to ear, excitement bubbling up inside of her.

"I'm pregnant."

* * *

**Amelia's pregnant! And what the heck is going on with James?**

**Hey all! I apologize for the wait. Thank you for your patience :) It's been a struggle, but I'm so exited to be back! Just in case you don't follow me on Twitter, i announced that a new chapter of The Path of the Sojourner will be out Wednesday, as well as a new chapter of Paper Hearts on Friday. I've had these chapters half done for a while now, so I decided to just push through and get them done. ****I'm super excited for ya'll to read them! **

**It's honestly been really hard to find inspiration right now, but i'm trying as hard as I can to keep myself going with new fresh ideas. I'd rather write well for quality, then just write for quantity, so if I can't figure out a scene, I typically have to walk away for a bit. **

**As always, tell me what you think here or via my Twitter!**

**Love you all,**

**-The Color Gray**


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